A Review Of The New Amish Heat Surge Electric Heater
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Posted: Monday, January 12, 2009
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
An elderly widow neighbor of mine has just purchased one of the new "Heat Surge" electric heaters with a real Amish built wooden fireplace enclosure. I had been reading about these and had a keen interest in them to see how the appearance of burning logs was accomplished with electric heat. It is a pretty piece of furniture alright and is apparently well constructed. The imitation fire is produced by a revolving globe which allows light to shine through various shades of coloring which produces the appearance of burning logs. Some years ago, there were lamps produced which used this principal to appear as a waterfall in motion, plus other images, etc. I wanted to examine the heater including the descriptive label, but I didn't want to bother the lady, nor did I want to discourage her in anyway over her purchase.
Uses less energy than it takes to run a coffee maker. That may not be an out and out lie, but it is misleading at best. First of all, it would have to be an extra large coffee maker. Perhaps a commercial sized one. According to their figures, the heater produces 5110 BTU's of heat. That figures out to be exactly 1500 watts of electricity used. My current coffee maker, 12 cup Mr. Coffee automatic, uses 900 watts of electricity for the time it is brewing the coffee. The most I have known of a coffee maker using was 1200 watts. But giving them that there are some perhaps that do use up to 1500 watts, they only run for some 3 to 5 minutes in brewing. And their claim that you can on your gas heating bill. This is explained by their suggestion that you turn your central heat down and use the heater to heat only one room at a time. This would no doubt do what they say, but it is quite inconvenient and when very cold, it takes a 1500 watt heater some length of time to warm a room.
But, it is as the EdenPURE heaters, it has to be used properly while using your gas discreetly.
As in all cases of electric heat, 1500 watts is the highest legal wattage allowed to be used on anything that is to be plugged into an 120 volt outlet. So regardless of the heater you buy anywhere or any type, you will not be able to buy one which draws more than 1500 watts of energy unless it is to be used on higher voltage lines. And 1500 watts will produce 5,000 BTU's of heat. (Or more precisely up to 5110 BTU assuming the heater is efficient). That includes this new Heat Surge Amish heater, the EdenPURE and the regular old coil heaters. In fact the Heat surge is a coil type.
So here is the difference, you can buy the old type, non-pretentious coil/fan models from about $30.00 up to around $100.00 depending on the construction and styling, and in some cases the name brand reputation. Or you can buy the EdenPURE or it's sister Sun Twin and pay from $349.00 up to near $500.00 and you get a prettier piece of furniture, on rollers with Infrared heating tubes. Or you can buy this new Amish Heat Surge heater with a nice, although small wooden fireplace mantel with a coil/fan system and a roller drum/light designed to give you the flame appearance of burning logs. For this you pay $587.00 for the cherry wood model or $547.00 for the oak model, plus optional $30.00 for remote control and 3 year extended warranty. They have a normal 1 year warranty.
My particular thoughts on this new heater is that the price is a lot to pay for a 1500 watt heater, unless the fireplace setting is something you are willing to pay for. Also I find no evidence of these heaters having been on the market long enough to be assured of their longevity or the extent of the company's service in case of problems with the heater. Also, the methods of the company's present advertising smells of deceitfulness. They have been running full page ads in Referring to "An Amish Man's Miracle Heater" with pictures of an Amish man holding one side of a sign and some other fellow holding the other side, which says "UL Approved". Then further down it says "How to get free heaters" "limit two" it then tells you can get a free heater when you buy the fireplace cover for $298.00. Or if you want to buy the heater alone, it will cost you $249.00. The company website seems much more truthful than their big ads. Some think there must be a large advertising agency involved, perhaps working on commission basis.
Plus the biggest deceitful impression is that it is made in an Amish shop right here in the U.S. Several of my sources say no, the heater itself is made in China. Supposedly the wooden mantle cover is built by the Amish and the heater and mantle are assembled and sold by a company in Ohio named Heat Surge.com. If you have a serious interest in one of these heaters I suggest that you visit their website and from their home page you may click the "contact us" button and you will find toll free numbers to their sales and also one to their customer service.
I have no criticism of the heaters themselves at this point, only the excessive claims made and inferred in their advertising. Plus I feel the price is much higher than I am willing to pay: http://www.heatsurge.com/overview.cfm#heater
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More commentsMore excessive profiteering at the expense of the uninformed...It's the American Way!!
I ordered a unit at the end of September and cancelled it because my son did not want it. It is now the end of October and I am still waiting for my refund.
Very poor customer service; and I rate their service with a minus 1
Dubuque, Ia
Yes,I found out as a kid years ago..there is no such a thing as a free lunch..and I figured china would be in on this somehow. There was a surge of kerosen heaters a few years ago,,this bombed out because of the smell and danger in the homes..now this gimmick...is there a tooth fairy?
Yes!! There was an ad in this weekend's paper advertising the Bob Vila sponsored EdenPure for $197.00 with no S/H if ordered within 10 days. That right there showed me that the usual price of $372.00 PLUS S/H of $17.00 was way overpriced and I decided to check it out on the Internet. Shame on Bob Vila! I will buy another portable electrical heater with a parabolic mirror behind it that has a heating coil instead which blasts the heat a good 6 ft into the room at a slight upwards angle. I bought the one I already have 2 years ago at Costco for about $55.00. I have had no problems with it, my cats juggle for the space in front of it, I have NEVER turned it up all the way because it gets too hot after a while wherever you aim it to, although my cats love it. It has an alarm if it sits on an uneven surface, gets bumped or turned over and will turn off if turned over. And it will eventually take the chill out of a 20 x 15 foot room with an 8 ft ceiling so that you can leave it at it's lowest setting and stay comfortable. However, as I live in SoCal we don't get the bone-chilling cold like elsewhere, low 40s is as far as it gets, so this might not work as well elsewhere.I agree with you. I have five electric heaters. four of them cost me less than $50 each and one, which is a 220 volt, twice as powerful as the others, cost me just over $100. That is as much heat as 6 regular 1500 watt heaters and with Edenpure's prices earlier, six of theirs would cost you $2,340. I have $300 invested in mine.
They are on special for 149 right now.
Thank you Charles for commenting. I don't believe I'll bother with another. I expect more than 1 year and a couple of months in the second from any heater. I just purchased two more 1500 watt Patton portable heaters, even though I wasn't needing them too much. Walmart had them on sale for $19.95 each! So now I have 6 small ones and the big one. And some of them are 7-8 years old. The large one is 4 years old and doing fine.
Absolutely agree - 100%!
Don’t buy the Heat Surge, or any similar infrared heater, unless you’re buying it for its novelty – an electric fireplace in a nice piece of woodwork.
Regarding it’s use as an alternative heat source, it can be no more efficient than any other 1500 watt radiant heater – which you can buy in any WalMart (and elsewhere) for $20-$100. Properly used as a mobile heat source to heat just the room you’re in, any of these will significantly reduce your energy costs in the winter.
You only have to dress warmly, close vents to other rooms, and close off those rooms, and dial down your thermostat to 60 degrees, or less, and use your portable radiant heater in the room your in. Also, use a humidifier to dramatically increase your heating efficiency, as well as seal up all windows and door openings.
You’ll have to use your “Amish-Made Infrared Heater" for many, many years to ever pay for it with reduced energy usage in the winter. And… you’ll still have to use the other techniques I describe above. But… you can pay for the other types of radiant heaters I noted above, in only a month, or two.
This is a “no-brainer" for anyone with a brain! Check out the many other, similar reviews and comments on other web sites.
If you want one, at it’s lofty price, as a novelty in your family room – fine.
Just don’t buy one of these heaters if you’re expecting to save money, because you won’t – when you consider the cost of the heater. And… not at all… if you don’t take the other measures I mention above.My amish heater just overloaded and fried itself while running and it is 1.5 years old.
Very disapointed.
The first one I bought quit within the warranty time and I had no trouble getting a replacement so that's good. I originally ordered a scratch and dent one to save money and expected a scratch or dent not a damaged wheel which meant it fell over if you bumped it at all. Fortunately no small children. The replacement one wasn't scratch and dent and works fine BUT they are too big and, even with wheels, too cumberson to wheel from room to room. The first year I had it in the kitchen but it was just in the way all the time. Next winter I put it in the living room but we're rarely in there. I ended up up buying little electric heaters and had them all over the house. But, I have to do something differently this winter, just too expensive with the little heaters all over the place. I think the Amish will go back into the kitchen, as much in the was as it is. I've also heard about Sun heater brand and another one I can't remember now, Life something. I have go to figure out a way to keep resonably warm that I can afford! Getting harder and harder to do so. My house heat is a boiler with hot water heat. I love that and it's so much more an even temp but that too is getting too costly for the gas bill. I really don't know what I'm going to do this year but need to decide quickly!
I purchased one these devices earlier today. I am in the process of cancelling my phone order after having read this article and several of the comments. I very much admire the Amish and their craftsmanship but the internal heating components for this device are Chinese made. I am getting the impression that the company selling my device is presenting a turd wrapped up in a beautiful package and raking in the profits. I will instead purchase two space heaters recommended by Consumers Reports for a lot less. THANK YOU!!!
1500 watts is 1500 watts. You can't get more heat than the energy you put in. Save your $$$ and go to Target/WalMart/Lowes/HomeDepot and by a $20 1500 W space heater.
I have 2 Lasko Heaters I purchased at Target for like $50.00 and I love them I have a 1200 sq ft Condo and the two of them running make it so I do not hardly have to turn my heat pump on... Love the product and the cheap ELECTRIC BILLS.. :) go buy Lasko Portable stand up heater.
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